A butterfly man, a fop; so called from the popinjay or figure of a bird shot at for practice. The jay was decked with parti-coloured feathers so as to resemble a parrot, and, being suspended on a pole, served as a target. He whose ball or arrow brought down the bird by cutting the string by which it was hung, received the proud title of Captain Popinjay, or Captain of the Popinjay, for the rest of the day, and was escorted home in triumph. (See Old Mortality, ch. ii.)